Getting Connected: One Touch Control

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Getting Connected: One Touch Control
On the forefront of home automation technology is a concept we've nicknamed the Big Red Button. Epitomizing everything that is convenient and clever in the connected home, the Big Red Button is changing the way homes are automated.

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In today's fast-paced world, the convenience that connectivity adds to the home is as compelling as the technologies that make it work. A home's comfort and convenience systems, including lighting, heating and cooling, security, and entertainment, have long interacted like distant relatives living under one roof. “Interoperability” is the concept that lies at the heart of the modern connected home.

Controlling the Home - In the well-connected home, one device can control almost everything in the house. Lighting, heating, cooling, and entertainment systems are accessed from a single wireless device.

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Lighting, heating and cooling, security, entertainment equipment, devices — just about anything in the house that runs on electricity can be automated. It makes sense, then, for these systems to be integrated to maximize convenience and minimize the number of controls. This “interoperability” is the concept that lies at the heart of the Big Red Button. By pressing a single button the house responds as programmed, and each system is adjusted to the appropriate setting.

Portable Control - Honeywell's WebPAD wireless Web tablet provides portable access to a home's control system, as well as standard Web surfing and email functions.

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Wireless Home Networking - Wireless networks allow you to roam freely--and stay connected. No longer tethered to the desktop (or your desk!), work and Web surfing happen when and where you choose.

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From a PC, laptop, Web tablet, or radio frequency remote control, a series of pre-programmed settings can be activated from a single input, automatically adjusting the systems of a home to any configuration of desired settings. Before leaving for work, a homeowner can select an “Away” option. Lights are shut off, the thermostat is turned down, drapes and blinds are lowered, and the security system activates. A “Sleep” setting might set a predetermined temperature, activate interior and exterior security devices, turn off lights throughout the house, and instruct the system to raise the home's temperature to a preset level before the alarm clock chimes.

Behind the Scenes
Existing homes and homes still in the planning stages are equally suited for integrated solutions. The degree of control depends primarily on the home's wiring. Homeowner's looking for complete packages that integrate computers, security, lighting, heating and air conditioning, and more require special infrastructure. Homes with a structured wiring package (bundled data and video wiring run to and from each room in the home and connected to a central control box) have almost limitless options.

Even without structured wiring, a house can be outfitted with a host of solutions by utilizing phone lines, wireless technologies, or the home's existing electrical wires. Turnkey systems that control lighting, basic security features, and remote home monitoring can be homeowner-installed. Typically, they use a home's existing electrical wiring and/or wireless technology to transmit data signals around the home.

It's a Do-It-For-Me Job
Integrating diverse home systems, which are almost always made by multiple manufacturers using their own networks and programming, is a real challenge. As a result, many manufacturers are grouping together to find workable solutions for homeowners. The increasing flexibility of new technologies means there is a solution for everyone. The reasonable cost for the packages and installation have more and more homeowners giving serious consideration to the convenience of home automation solutions.

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